Domtar has joined the American Forest Foundation (AFF) as a partner in its Family Forest Carbon Program (FFCP). This new initiative, designed to enhance carbon sequestration in family-owned forestland across the United States, includes other business partners and charitable foundations, as well as the Nature Conservancy.
The FFCP represents a new approach to climate change mitigation that taps into the carbon storage potential of family-owned forestland while creating a new market and source of income for the families who dedicate time and effort to their forest management.
“Domtar understood the support we needed to engage landowners and implement FFCP at the ground level, and they have shown leadership in providing resources essential to the execution of this program,” says Nathan Truitt, vice president of strategic partnerships at AFF. “Domtar’s investment has been instrumental in setting the groundwork for this program, and we couldn’t do this work without their support. We encourage other businesses to follow their lead by investing in new approaches that tap the carbon potential of family-owned forests.”
Families own 290 million acres of America’s forests — more than state or federal governments and the forest industry — and many cite cost as a barrier to effectively managing their forestland. These private forests represent a landmass about the size of California and Texas combined. Domtar’s FFCP support will expedite family forest owner outreach and enable owners to take action on their land in Pennsylvania, where the program is being pilot tested.